Door detent



B. B. WEAVER DOOR DETENT Sept. 25, 1956 Filed 001'.. 26, 1955 5Wig. 2.

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United States Patent "DOOR DETENT Burton B. Weaver, Alexandria, Nebr.

'Application October 26, 1955, Serial No.5425798 Y8 Claims. (Cl. 292-194) The present invention appertains toimprovements in locking devicesfor doors and more particularly relatesl to a locking means or detent for holding atslidmg door 1n Aa closed position.

Conventionally, sliding doors, for barns, garages, houses and the like buildings, are hung 'from overhead tracks and are slidable'laterally of the door opening on the tracks. In many instances, especially during wind storms, the doors are forcibly moved transversely of the direction of-their paths of sliding movement andare dislodged from their tracks. Also, the doors are many times-"accident'ally slid open.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a compact, simple and easily installed and operated locking means;for securing a sliding (door against accidental dislodgement or movementeither along its path o-sliding movement or transverse'v thereto, so that the door is securely held against any movement.

It is a further primary object of this invention to provide a detent means for securing a double sliding door against any movement, the detent means acting directly on one door and the other door then being locked to the first door.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a door detent means which is so designed and perated as to not interfere with the normal opening and closing of the sliding door or to offer any obstruction to ingress and egress through the door opening.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the instant device in a position of use, having parts broken away and others depicted in section thereof.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the instant device in a position of use, showing a portion of a door and the floor.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the instant device in a position of use with respect to a sliding door.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the new device and showing the latch means employed.

As heretofore practiced in the use of sliding doors, either single or double, and the like, particularly in instances of barn doors, the doors are attached at their upper ends to a track or the like mounted on the side of a barn, whereby the door is free to slide open and closed. The same type of construction has been used with garage doors and other doors of the sliding type. In many instances, during a high wind or the like, the doors are forced outwardly or inwardly and often-times are dislodged from the tracks on which they slide. Also, as has heretofore been the case, with such sliding doors and the like, the doors have often slid open at times, which was a hindrance to the operator. The instant device seeks to obviate the difficulties heretofore mentioned by providing a detent whereby the door may be held securely latched or locked in a closed position.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Vby a conventional hanger means.

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the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that lvarious changes in construction may be resorted to inthe course of manufacture in order that the -invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner ydeparting from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while lthere is stated the primary eld of utility of the invention, lit remains obvious that it may be employed -in any'other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates a sliding door which is hung from an overhead track (not shown) The lower or bottom edge of the door slides over they floor surface 12 land the door has'opposing flat faces 14 and 16, the latter being the rear face of the door.

vThe instant device includes a base or anchoring plate 20, which is anchored within a surface opening 22 in the 'iloorsurface-IZ by bolts 24 or other suitable fasteners.

The plate'Z is provided with upstanding aperture'd ears 26, which are spaced apart to provide a support'for `axkeeper means 28. The keeper means 28 includes a pair of parallel leg members 30 and 32, which are disposed in Yspaced apart confronting relation. The leg members are spaced apart sufciently to-receive the door 10 therebetween and are preferably in the form of flat bars. The

lower ends of the leg membersare yconnected Yby an integral webvportion 34 so that fthe keeper means `consists of a U-shaped bar element that ldefines Vthe leg mem- 'bers and the `web portion. One leg member 30 is preferably shorter than the other leg member and constitutes the outside leg member or the one that is disposed over the outer face 14 of the door, as shown in Figure 1. Due to the one-piece construction or other suitable connecting means, the leg members are simultaneously movable.

The leg members are provided at their lower ends with laterally outstanding lugs 36 which are rotatably mounted within the apertures in the ears 26 whereby the leg members are attached to the plate 20 for vertical swinging movement about an axis transverse to the path of sliding movement of the door.

Means is provided for locking the door to the keeper means and includes an abutment member 38 mounted on the inner or rear face 16 of the door. The abutment member is defined by the laterally outstanding flange of an angle iron 4), the other flange 42 of which is ixedly superimposed on the door face by bolts 44 or other suitable fastening means. The leg member 32 is adapted to abut in face to face contact against the abutment member 38 so as to locate the keeper means in a position upstanding from the floor surface.

The abutment member 38 carries latch means 46 for locking the leg member 32 thereto. The latch means includes U-shaped keepers 43 which have lateral extensions 50 on their legs 52. The extensions 50 are pivoted by pivot pins 54 on the abutment member. The legs 56 of the keepers are free and t over the leg member 32, as shown in Figure 4, to releasably secure the leg member to the abutment member.

Operation When the door 16 is to be secured in a closed position, the door is moved between the leg members 30 and 32 that are held, by holding the leg member 32, in an upstanding position. The leg member 32 abuts the abutment member 38 when the door is completely closed and then the keepers 48 are moved to their locking positions in which they lockingly engage the leg member 32.

From the foregoing specification, it will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish, and that it will nd an important place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for retaining a sliding door which is hung from an overhead track in a closed position against movement in its direction of sliding movement and in a direction transverse to such direction of sliding movement; said means comprising a pair of parallel leg members, means mounting the leg members on the floor surface for simultaneous rotational movement thereof about an axis transverse to the direction of sliding movement of the door, said leg members being disposed in spaced apart confronting relation and being spaced apart suiciently to receive a door therebetween when they are raised to a position upstanding from the oor surface and means carried by one side of the door and engageable with one of the leg members for locking the door to the leg members and holding the leg members in upstanding positions.

2. The combination of claim l, wherein said leg members are joined at their lower ends by an integral web section which is positioned in an opening in the oor surface.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said means mounting the leg members includes a plate anchored in the floor surface opening and having spaced apart upstanding apertured ears between which the web section is disposed, said leg members having laterally outstanding lugs on their lower ends, said lugs being rotatably mounted in the ears.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said leg members are joined at their lower ends by an integral transverse web section and one of the leg members is longer than the other.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said last means includes an abutment member laterally outstanding from one of the faces of the door and against which one of the leg members abuts and latch means carried by the abutment member for releasably securing the said leg member thereto.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said abutment member consists of an angle iron, one ange of which is fixed on the face of the door and the other flange of which constitutes the abutment member and outstands from the door.

7. The combination of claim 5, wherein the abutment member is disposed on the door perpendicular to the oor surface.

8. The combination of claim 5, wherein the latch means includes U-shaped keepers pivotally mounted at one leg'on the abutment member and adapted to be positioned at their other legs over the said leg member.

carey May 22, 1883 Weber May 6, 1924 

